International City although within a 20 minute drive of Dubai International Airport is well outside the traditional Dubai city boundaries – but with the mega entertainment Dubailand project being established next door will soon be surrounded by development projects on all sides:

The General Manager, Rashid Al Helli has the responsibility for the establishment and operation of International City.

Set in 800 hectares of land, International City features ten internationally themed residential districts - providing conveniently configured apartments for about 60,000 residents.

Helli’s appointment coincides with Nakheel restructuring of its senior management team so that each Nakheel project now acts as an autonomous strategic business unit complete with its own management, budget, and team.

Characteristic IC low rise block with retail and small business office outlets on the ground level and affordable studio and 1 and 2 bedroom units on the upper floors. This plain and unpretentious low cost building is located in IC Spain:

Location:
International City is located on the south side of Dubai, in the inland area of Al Warsan.

Developer’s concept:
The International City represents a grand master plan for an 800-hectare site that was designed as a low cost accommodation precinct for the rapidly growing Dubai expatriate community.

Inspired by the geometry of the intricately patterned traditional carpets of the Middle East - the master plan reflects the exuberant richness of Islamic carpet designs.

IC master plan:

The internationally themed residential, commercial and tourist project is now substantially completed – the last phase being the 2008 launching of residential and commercial sales for the Forbidden City and the Lakes Districts.

The first phase of infrastructure construction including access roads, water, electricity, sewage and cooling was completed and operational by mid 2004 with most stages completed by 2007.

Districts:
The completed development is made up of six key districts as follows:

The Central District,

Dubai Gates,

The Dragon mart,

Main Residential district,

Lakes District,

The Forbidden City.

The Central district contains tower housing corporate offices up to 40 storeys.

The cultural diversity of International City is represented in the Dragon Mart - a trade mall for Chinese traders - designed in the form of a 1.4 kilometre dragon and covering 50 hectares of land.

A consortium of Chinese investors interested in the project approached the master developer, and with support from the governments of United Arab Emirates and the People's Republic of China, the Dragon Mart project became a symbol of bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

The Forbidden City - covering 240,000 square metres - will contain a combination of residential and retail outlets and Chinese themed gardens. It will be a replica of the biggest and best-preserved cluster of ancient buildings in China and will spread over 240 thousand square meters.

A focal points of the residential district will be the Lake District which is set in 60 hectares of land and boasting a lake, public park and residential buildings it will serve a perfect location of reside, relax or entertain whether ,guest or tourist.

25 residential buildings with Thai and Indonesian architectural influences will provide 1375 two and three bedroom duplex apartments ranging between 150 to 170 square metres in size- many with lake views.

The Dubai Design Centre - located at the Dubai Gates - is an exclusive area for permanent and temporary exhibitions and it occupies three sides of an International City block. It will also contain two hotels with 3 to 4 hundred rooms each, to accommodate both exhibitors and visitors.

The IC project is designed in such a way that most residents are a 4 or 5 minute walk to the surrounding amenities such as parks, gardens and central business district.

In addition the International City contains retail outlets, restaurants, and future plans include schools, post offices, hospitals and other support services for the commuter community.

Most residential and commercial units have been sold on a freehold basis.

Attractions: Al Warsan Lake is one of several freshwater wetlands in the United Arab Emirates and is home to almost 200 species of birds.

Dubai Development Projects: International City is the first purple block to the right of the nearby mega entertainment project Dubailand. Dubai Airport is located in the long light green block located just to the right of the Dubai Creek in the top right side of the image:

Located on the north side of Dubai, in Al Warsan, the predesigned complex is established over 800 hectares of land. The site occupies a strategic location at the crossroads of highways linking Dubai to Abu Dhabi and Oman – and is about 20 minutes drive to the Dubai International Airport.

The site is located on the Dubai-Hatta road and between Interchange 5 and 6 of Emirates Road, opposite to the Dubai Central Fruit and Vegetable Market.

This community is increasingly becoming home to a large number of Dubai commuters [approximately 250,000 per day] who previously travelled from their homes in the Emirate of Sharjah each day to work in Dubai.

This group and many who reside in older sections of Dubai such as Satwa have been attracted to the affordability and location of International City.

Manifestly this is an attractive rental market for investors in low and medium price accommodation – a studio unit in IC is one of the most affordable rental options in Dubai at present.

Dubai Metro:
The planned extension of the Dubai Metro driverless light rail system with a metro station at International City will dramatically improve the accessibility of this somewhat detached outer urban district and greatly enhance the long term investment values of landlords owning apartments in the 10 residential clusters.

In London property owners within walking distance of newly opened London Underground stations in the 1990s obtained massive [up to 30%] incremental capital gains about a year before the new trains station opened and another substantial boost once the trains were actually running. The same outcome has occurred throughout the world where new urban train lines and stations have been opened.

Fast, efficient, and inexpensive transport greatly enhances the investment value of property within walking distance of its feeder hubs.

The residential clusters to benefit the most from this capital enhancement of the locality are those facing Emirates Road – along which the proposed new Dubai metro blue line is projected to pass – and the station will be located.
These clusters include:

England

Russia

Spain

Italy

France

The Dubai Metro will cross International City [mid right of image by Dragon Mart] on its Emirates Road boundary just above the Dubai Gates if the proposed new Dubai Metroblue line to link Dubailand with the rest of the city proceeds as expected.This image shows the magnitude of the Dubailand’s project – International City is a sizable 800 hectares – and Dubailand is about 20 times the size of its site.

The International City master plan provides for six distinct districts contained within the 800 hectare site.

The Central District:
The Central District is spread over 21 hectares and comprises of 34 plots that have now been developed and sold.

The Central District is the nerve centre of International City and houses retailers, wholesalers and corporate offices.

Dubai Design Centre [Dubai Gates]:
Dubai Design Centre is an exclusive area for permanent and temporary exhibitions and it occupies three sides of the International City. It also contains two hotels with 300 to 400 rooms each, to accommodate exhibitors and visitors.

The Dragon Mart:
The Dragon Mart spreads across 50 hectares and is a large trade mall designed in the form of a traditional Chinese dragon, with a 1.4 kilometres [0.85 miles] long Central Spine.

The dragon's head serves as the main entrance, which is accessible from the Dubai-Hatta Road. Boasting over 2 thousand parking spaces, it serves as a commercial centre for more than three thousand Chinese companies.

The Residential District:
The Residential District is spread out across 300 hectares of land, and houses 2,100 studio [from 44.5 square meters] and one bedroom [from 66.5 square meters] apartments.

These freehold apartments feature economic post modern interpretations of the architectural styles of Italy, Spain, Morocco, Persia, Greece, China, Indonesia, England, Russia, Thailand, and France, divided into large and medium-sized neighbourhoods. The apartment units were designed to be converted into two bedroom flats and they will accommodate more than 60,000 people.

Lakes District and Public Park [The Lakeside]:
The Lakes District will comprise of 60 hectares of lush green landscape that borders a small freshwater lake. It will contain 24-26 buildings with a total of 1375 apartments, which are either 2 or 3 bedroom duplex apartments from 150 to 170 square meters each.

Forbidden City:
Forbidden City will be a replica of the biggest and best-preserved cluster of ancient buildings in China and will spread over 240 thousand square meters. It will accommodate authentic residential and retail outlets set amidst awe-inspiring gardens, museums and performance courts.

[2]: Site Plan:International City:

The site plan shows the precise plot allocation and the actual road and pathways between the each of the 10 international clusters in the IC residential precinct.

The precise location of each of the 10 international clusters can be obtained from the master plan map shown above in the preceding section.

The site plan also identifies the areas within the project site that are landscaped as parkways or green areas.

IC: Site plan:

[3]: Landscaping:[a]: Unfinished business:

Developer’s pre sales vision: love the trees!

The International City project presents as a densely built low rise accommodation precinct and its major current drawback is the absence of sufficient landscaping around the residential blocks – such as palm tree lined streets as in other Dubai property projects - or green areas like public garden squares to break the monotony of the building structures.

Palm trees are shown in the above image provided by the developers - but as the following image shows the reality is starkly different:

Resident’s post sales reality: Where’s the trees?

Some landscaping has been done – but not enough – and as some of the images shown in this section indicate - too often the buildings look stranded in a concrete jungle - and there is no or too little greenery to soften the building blocks not to mention provide a bit of climate protection from the harsh Dubai sun.Please sir - may I have a tree?

The danger is that in a few years time this location will become run down – and will resemble the worst parts of some of the Bur Dubai flatland streets – an increase in tree plantings outside the apartment buildings is essential and overdue and will help the new suburb age more gracefully – and avoid the tired boring concrete block look of much of Bur Dubai.

Lots of greenery in this developers vision of International City – and a river!

[b]: The Al Warsan Lake:

A freshwater lake lies inside the perimeter of International City - tucked into the site by the Dubai-Hatta Road.

The lake consists of a number of connected wetlands with an average depth of 3 metres all set in a gently undulating desert landscape.

Al Wansan Lake: International City:

The pools were formed in the mid 1990s when excess treated sewage effluent water was pumped from the nearby Dubai sewage treatment plant into pits which had been excavated by a construction company as a rock quarry.

The lake and its neighbouring site has become an important habitat for water birds. As part of the Environmental Impact Assessment and associated baseline survey of flora and fauna - 186 local and migratory species of bird were found to frequent the lake - including some of the rarest in the Arabian and Asian regions. The lake banks will be carefully landscaped according to international wetlands conservation protocols and a bird aviary and visitors centre will be erected on the city side – and residential towers on the outer perimeters of the lake precinct:

An assessment of the lake’s water quality and biological characteristics showed clean water rich in aquatic life and high biological productivity that in turn supports its survival.

The biological importance of the lake lies in the fact that it has become an integrated natural habitat with dense reed lands and a diverse food chain.

Steps have been taken to list with these wetlands under the Ramsar Convention onWetlands which will officially formally recognise Al Warsan Lake as wetlands of international significance.

Al Warsan Lake before the landscaping of the banks:

Leading specialists in wetlands, ornithology and freshwater ecology have formed a project consortium along with Architects, planners and landscape designers specializing in wetlands projects.

The consortium is preparing a Lake Enhancement, Preservation and ManagementPlan focused on creating and managing a sustainable wildlife sanctuary located on the side of a busy high density commuter suburb.

Looking over the wetlands is the Lakes district of International City – which is the most expensive district of International City by virtue of having the prospect of overlooking a waterway and natural parkland - rather than another treeless concrete building of fairly average architectural merit.

Lakes District International City: The wetlands will be overlooked 34 low rise residential towers that will enjoy the best view and most pleasant environment in International City. The bird aviary is shown in the top mid left of the image:

[4]: The IC Districts in detail:

[a]: The IC Commercial Districts:

[1]: Central District:

The Central District is spread over 21 hectares and comprises of 34 plots that have now been developed and sold. The Central District is the nerve centre of International City and houses retailers, wholesalers, leisure amenities, and corporate offices.

The independent investors who purchased the 34 wholesale plots have had the flexibility to develop their own projects subject to Nakheel’s design and building control guidelines.

Eleven-storey office and residential blocks with retail outlets on the ground floors and basement car parking for 130 cars each have subsequently been constructed.

A 40 floor feature tower covering 50,000 square metres houses corporate offices and has a mall at its base.

Although The Central District will primarily serves as the business hub of International City it also has residential towers.

All of the 11-storey towers house retail outlets on the ground floor and each tower has basement parking for 130 vehicles.

According to Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, executive chairman, Nakheel, the master developer of the IC project: “We have positioned International City as the one of new centres for trading and commercial activities in Dubai. After careful research and study, we positioned this project in an area which we anticipate there will be major commercial and residential growth in the coming years. It is the first project in the Middle East to offer residential buildings within a business, retail and tourism complex. Unlike other large projects currently under development, International City is truly international, offering upscale residences designed along architectural styles from around the world and commercial buildings in the heart of a major world-class mega-project. We are positive it will prove to be a magnet for those looking for a new home as well as multinational companies that want a location in the heart of the Middle East’s business hub... International City will be a major development that will offer world-class amenities, state-of-the-art conference and exhibition facilities and a pleasant working environment for companies choosing to have offices in the Central District. Companies will have the convenience of restaurants and retail outlets on their doorstep, as well as enjoy the benefit of being part of a network of businesses right in the centre of Dubai’s commercial hub…”

[2]: Dubai Gates: Dubai Design Centre:

Status:

It has not been possible to obtain confirmation as to when the DDC is opening – although its website provides a non downloadable booking form for exhibitors.

Dubai Design Centre [DDC] has been planned as a vast home furnishings display area for permanent and temporary exhibitions occupying three sides of the International City – in the Dubai Gates complex.

Established as a hub for traders and retailers the DDC will offer a complete range of home furnishing and construction solutions at its International City base.

The 13 million square feet, Dubai Design Centre has been designed as the largest home furnishing centre of its kind in the Middle East, designed to cater for a full scope of needs, ranging from:

furniture,

tools,

equipment,

interiors

and kitchenware.

With a net prime retail space of 5.7 million square feet, DDC also contains offices for architects and engineers as well as additional amenities for customers, tenants and patrons from the GCC and the Middle East region.
DDC is the second specialised centre after Dragon Mart - being developed at Nakheel's International City - a world-class hub for international investors, traders and retailers, combining commercial, residential and tourism interests. It is expected to open in 2009 but it has not been possible to obtain confirmation of this from Nakheel the developers.

Location:

The DDC is located in the Al Warsan area of Dubai at the intersection of the Emirates Road, Al Aweer Road and the Academic Road.
The 4.2 kilometer frontage of the project lies adjacent to the Emirates Road, which is an arterial link between Northern Emirates and Abu Dhabi and the City with New Dubai area.

Display and Exhibition space:

The proposed expansion at the DDC, will take the total area of the development to 13 million square feet with a net prime retail space of 5.7 million square feet, the rest of which is being used to create additional amenities for customers, tenants and patrons from the GCC and the Middle East region.

“Dubai Design Centre answers the region's call for an integrated market space that is exclusively dedicated to offering every conceivable solution in home furnishing. The development is the first and only port of call for real estate and property developers in the UAE, the rest of the GCC and the Middle East region who are looking for world class furnishing accessories and building materials. The project demonstrates Nakheel’s resourcefulness in reacting aptly to the market demand and provides a tremendous boost to the property development sector that is already booming in the region.'

'The Dubai Design Centre is strategically located in the International City development, lying in close proximity to many of the signature property developments taking shape in the New Dubai area,' said Bin Sulayem. 'The access to the Dubai International Airport from the project is unimpeded as are the free zones, the Jebel Ali port and Port Rashid.
Residents of other Emirates can easily reach the development, through the arterial Emirates Road and the Al Aweer road.'

The DDC is spread across several zones offering showroom space for products that are clubbed together according to category. These areas are lined up in the distinctly elongated 'U' shape of the development with each Zone providing customers choices in:

Furniture,

Beddings,

Lounges,

Tables,

General Homeware,

Garden Décor,

Carpets,

Fabrics,

Artwork,

Electrical and White goods,

Home Entertainment Products,

Lighting and Fittings,

Electrical Appliances,

Air Conditioning and Hot Water,

Plumbing hardware and tools,

Baths, Basins, Taps,

Doors and Windows,

Glass Supplies,

Tiles and Stone supplies,

Shelves and fixing,

Timber and Steel supplies,

Block work,

Insulation,

Plasters,

Landscaping and Gardening and other lifestyle amenities, such as Pools and Spas

finishing products such as Paints, Varnish and tempering products.

DDC Office accommodation:

In addition, the Dubai Design Centre plans to provide office facilities in blocks providing 80,000 square meter of prime office space and a state of the art business centre, offering integrated conferencing and business related solutions to the tenants of the project.

Hotels:

The centre also plans a three and a four star hotel, two extensive food courts as well as an entertainment section. A 10,000 square meter retail plot has also been added to the centre.

Internal walkways:

Due to extensive length of the project, the 20-meter wide internal corridors will have a number of moving walkways.

Parking:
A public car parking facility intended for approximately 18,000 cars occupies the entire lower level of the development.

Dubai Design Centre:

[3]: Dragon Mart:

Dragon Mart location:

The Developer’s vision:

What is Dragon Mart?
Dubai's Dragon Mart, the largest trading hub for products from China outside the Chinese main land has attracted huge numbers of visitors since opening its doors on December 7th 2004.

Developed by Nakheel at its International City in the Al Warsan area of Dubai, the 1.2 km long Dragon-shaped structure has attracted residents from Dubai and neighbouring Emirates who come to browse or purchase the vast and varied selection of Chinese products.

The Dragon Mart is open to investors who already have an established business in PR China – and wish to open a local branch in Dubai.

A business visa is made available to the new businesses via the Jebel Ali FreeTrade Zone – and accordingly no income or sales tax is levied against the business.

Dragon Mart Attractions:

Dragon Mart includes:

showrooms,

shopping areas,

restaurants

warehouses

and offices

that house 4000 enterprises dealing in Chinese products.

The Mart is divided into several commercial and service areas, an office area and a business centre.

It also has negotiation rooms and three conference rooms within the commercial areas.

Dragon MART: Interior:

Residential complex in Dragon mart:

Adjoining the Dragon Mart will be a complex of 25 residential buildings with a Chinese-theme, located approximately 300 meters away from the mart. The residential section will comprise 1,868 apartments with retail space on the ground floor level, completing the picture of an elegant mixed-use development.

The residential districts, commercial areas and other tourist Attractions that will form International City will be completed at different stages.

and will assemble the most exhaustive collection of Chinese products under one roof.

The development, which is being jointly promoted by Nakheel and Chinamex MiddleEast Investment and Trade Promotion Centre, is spread over an area of 150,000 square meters in addition to 30,000 square meters of warehouses.

It will host Chinese businesses or businesses associated with products and services from China, including joint venture companies and companies operating from China through the Chinamex Middle East Investment and Trade Promotion Centre.Commercial Area of Dragon Mart:

The Mart is divided into several commercial areas, which will host a wide variety of Chinese products and commodities, including:

textile and garments,

food and groceries,

household and electric appliances,

interior decoration,

home furnishing,

arts and craft,

chemical products,

sports and leisure accessories,

electronics and lifestyle products.

The development will also host food courts with Chinese restaurants and other tourism interests for visitors to sample Chinese heritage and culture.

Spot the dragon: The dragon’s head is the part in the bottom right side of the image:

[b]: The International City residential districts:

This plan shows the position of each of the 10 residential districts of International City:

[1]: The 10 existing International Residential Clusters:

The residential clusters have been planned to house 413 buildings offering 23.877 studios and 1 bedroom apartments and 5254 retail units in low rise buildings.

Most building comprise residential floors on the upper levels – retail on the ground – and parking in the basement.

Building construction commenced in 2006 and by the end of 2008 387 buildings will be completed.

All of the 10 international clusters have been built – and an 11th – the Emirates cluster was launched in 2008 with a completion date for 2010.

[2]: The Forbidden City:

IC Forbidden City:

Developer’s vision:

This recreation of a monolith that was once off-limits to most of the world is destined to become a local tourist attraction.

Spread over 240,000 square metres with parking facilities for 2,000 cars, this replica of the biggest and best-preserved cluster of ancient buildings in China will accommodate authentic residential and retail outlets set amidst awe-inspiring gardens, museums and performance courts.

An impressive Central Court comes with a 'Pagoda' that houses an authentic Chinese restaurant.

This community will blend in with an equally critical aspect of International City's conception - tourism.

Incredible replicas of iconic structures like the Forbidden City are to be recreated in intricate detail.

Forbidden City: PR China:

Inspired from the legendary Royal Court Palace of Imperial China, Forbidden City will be a residential neighbourhood offering its own extensive community facilities, enhanced by the range of retail and leisure offerings at International City and Dragon Mart.

At the heart of the development will be a landscaped vista leading to an ornate Grand Mosque, the spiritual centrepiece of the community.

Work on the development started in April 2008 with final completion estimated to be in April 2011.

Stated Eng. Rashid Al Helli, Director, International City:

“We are very excited about the unveiling of Forbidden City; another significant milestone for International City. This low-rise residential community will be quite unique in its design, inspired by the architecture of Imperial China. The development has been carefully planned to take into consideration everything that residents will need in terms of retail and leisure amenities, to help build a thriving and sustainable community.”

In addition to 4,000 homes, Forbidden City will feature 50 retail stores including food outlets, restaurants, internet cafés and boutiques.

Residents will also benefit from the close proximity to Dragon Mart, which offers a wide range of Chinese merchandise available outside of mainland China.

Forbidden City: PR China: replicas of buildings like this will be built in Forbidden City, IC, Dubai:

[3]: The new Emirates precinct:

The original plan for IC was to have 10 ethnic clusters or precincts - with Thailand /Indonesian being the 10 precinct.

That plan has been changed with the announcement of The Lakes precinct which will occupy the site originally allocated to Thailand/Indonesia.

Emirates has subsequently been announced as the 10 th cluster - to replace Thailand/Indonesia.

Located immediately besides the Morocco cluster on the Tasjeel Road – the Emirates precinct has been added to the IC project by the acquisition of the spare parcel of land adjoining the original 800 hectare suite.

The fact that the original site area for the International City has been expanded indicates that this has been a successful development project for Nakheel.

The Emirates precinct development includes 1612 residential units and 52 retail spaces across a total of 26 buildings.

The residential buildings offer studio and one-bedroom apartments over the 26 buildings.

Construction on the Emirates Precinct began early in 2008 - with completion scheduled for the third quarter of 2009.

Sales for these units were launched in early 2008 and sold out immediately.

The master developer Nakheel issued the following press release to mark this result:

“Nakheel, one of the world’s largest and most innovative real estate developers, has sold out all residential units of the Emirates Precinct, the tenth and final precinct to be added to the Residential District of International City.”

Manal Shaheen, Nakheel Director - Sales, Marketing and Customer Service, said:“International City continues to be an enormous draw for people in search of quality housing at an affordable price, which has been demonstrated further by the enormous sales success of the Emirates precinct. We see this success as reflective of the quality of the development being delivered and it shows that there is great demand in the market place for affordable housing. With its location and affordability, International City is an ideal place to live.”

Emirates precinct International City: don’t forget to plant the trees!

The Lake District is a 25 hectare residential and recreational precinct that was launched by Nakheel in May 2008.

It overlooks the banks of Al Wansan Lake which it a protected wetland that is being landscaped and conserved.

The planned 2300 units in this sub project will be known as Lakeside Residential.

The project will be marketed in 6 phases – the first phase sold out almost immediately upon release.

Al Warsan Lake: Site Plan:

Lakeside Residential will be built is 5 distinct clusters each in a different architectural style and will comprise 1, 2, and 3 bedroom apartments and some penthouse duplex units.
Each of the five clusters will have their own underground parking and indoor gym facilities
The precinct will provide:

a mosque,

retail area,

community centres with swimming pools,

recreational facilities.

and multipurpose racquet courts.

Construction on the site began in 2008 and the anticipated completion date is May 2010.

At the launch International City Director Rashid Al Helli stated:

“We are delighted to be launching Lake District and its residential element, Lakeside Residential. This is a premier development within International City which offers high quality accommodation but still at a price which is within the reach of young professionals in Dubai.

“This self-sustained development will soon become a great place to work, live and relax in a convenient location away from the hustle and bustle of the city. There is also the added benefit of the great views of Al Warsan Lake and its facilities which include an aviary and bird watching towers.”

“Nakheel is developing this area to preserve and recognise it as a world class heritage area. Capitalizing on the natural beauty of the lake, the design, location and generous spacing of Lake District’s buildings guarantee all apartments enjoy a relaxing view of the lake.”

Construction has already commenced and will continue in five phases. The estimated completion date is the fourth quarter of 2010.
Shadid Engineering Consultants are the architects for the project.

[5]: Local Buzz:

Of all the many Dubai development projects few seem to have raised so much local resident and developer discontent as has the International City project.

The Internet blogs about the Dubai property market such as Skyscraper City – Dubai Seeker.com - and Property Community.com – have aired the various complaints about the developer and the project.

The local resident’s and landlord’s complaints may be summarized as follows:

[1]: Delays in completion:

Some buildings were completed up to 12 months late causing financial hardship to purchasers who had to continue paying rent whilst paying a mortgage on the uncompleted property:

[2]: There are insufficient shops:

Extraordinarily enough in a project containing over 5000 retail units there are not enough shops.

They have built enough but registration and regulatory barriers seem to be preventing shops from getting licensees and opening up for business.
Here is an extract from one of the blogs:

“There's nowhere to shop, say International City residents

“Dubai: Residents of International City are upset by the lack of shops and medical services in the area.

This comes after Gulf News reported last week that residents complained about the traffic and access problems, the lack of signage and the smell of waste water from the nearby Al Aweer sewage plant.

Other issues raised by International City residents in recent days are the lack of shops and facilities.

British-Egyptian A.H. moved to the Spain cluster last month: "My local supermarket is really expensive. I think they know that we can't go anywhere else and there's no competition nearby.""Things like doctors, forget about it. There are no doctors here," he said.

Local business owner A.S., an Iranian, called an ambulance after his friend had a domestic accident.

"I had to call the emergency services after my friend had an accident, because there's no immediate medical assistance in the area. There aren't even any pharmacies."

Filipino resident W.T. said he leaves International City to do his shopping, because "it's too expensive to buy inside the development".blog:“me and many bought shops in international city , and no one wants to buy them even under cost price or rent it cheaper than a warehouse rent in satwa . There are like thousands of empty shops in international city, what will happen to us, is it possibl they allow shops to be converted into apartments? It takes years to take a licence from Jafza . So no one can start a shop.”

[2]: The Al- Aweer Sewerage problem:
As the following map shows International City is located close to the Al-Aweer Sewerage plant which has twice been extended and a third 80000 cubic-metre-a-day extension is currently under consideration:

There have been many blog complaints about the smell. W.T., a Filipino, who has been living in International City's Spain cluster for the past three months complained as follows:

“International Stink city”"My daughter is two years old and is supposed to be coming to live with me soon.
"However, I feel it's not healthy to let a two-year-old live in this place, it smells. I was told I would enjoy the community lifestyle, but I don't see anything like that here."

A Dubai Municipality official said there are plans to move the sewage treatment plant, which is currently in Al Aweer. But he did not say when.

Skyscraper.com carried this blog from a member:

“I have lived in Alwarqaa for the last three years, and it seems like the smell is getting worse day after day. If i closed the windows and turned on the A/C the problem is solved 99%. But there are days when the A/C is not good enough. Also, that means we are limited to closing our windows even in nice winter days and nights because of the odor. I do not have any apartments in International City but i believe if we all send petitions to Dubai Municipality we could relieve the whole area of Alwarqaa, Nad Alhamar, International City, and Ras Alkhor beacuse the smell is not limited to international city and it spills out depending on the wind. i will attach a photo to clarify the situation.

in this satellite photo i highlited the affected area by the treatment facility it is mainly all of International City, and Alwarqaa, and parts of Ras Alkhor. You can even the smell of odor as far as vegetable market depending on the day and wind direction.”

This map shows the location of the Sewerage Plant to International City and the suburb of Alwarqaa – both of which are badly affected by sewerage smells dependent upon the prevailing wind. This essential utility needs to be relocated – previously it was well outside the Dubai urban region – but with the government permitting residential projects to be established in this area – it now needs to be moved well beyond the current planned city boundary extensions.Sewerage plants have no place in urban areas – even newly established urban areas:

[3]: Poor access into IC causing traffic congestion and danger:

Another serious concern is the traffic situation – the access road into IC is dangerous and congested with sewerage trucks:

Blog 1:“J.H. a secretary from the UK, said: "Big trucks pull up on the side of the road by the main entrance, making cars drive across two lanes to get in, it's very dangerous.

"I want to know whey there's only one lane leading to the main part of International City."

A spokesperson at the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said road development projects in the area surrounding International City are on the cards and there will be more roads linking the area with Emirates Road and the Dubai Bypass Road.”

Sewerage trucks near IC:

Blog 2:“Anyone know when they plan to make a real entrance to the area? Currently about 85% of residents seem to drive through the garage to get to the slip road and the other 15% through Dragon Mart on a zig road with lots of speed bumps. Somehow I don't understand this... they make an entire area with so many buildings and then don't make a road leading into the area.

Yeah, you look at all the cars parked outside, and then you think, no way is this real life International City!!!!”

Sewerage spill in International City: There’s a logical explanation as to why the water is brown:

Developer's Response:

'Vibrant community'

Rashid Al Helli, General Manager of International City, a Nakheel development, responded to the complaints of some residents.

"International City is fast establishing itself as a vibrant community, providing much needed affordable living with excellent facilities for a broad range of people in Dubai. We are delighted with the progress to date and more than 50,000 people have moved into their new homes; facilities are continuously being made available, landscaping is well underway, and community events are held regularly.

"As this community develops further, International City will continue to provide a diverse range of commercial and retail offerings for residents. In total, there will be more than 5,000 retail units, with each building in the residential district offering a variety of retail and dining outlets.

"International City continues to be an enormous draw for people in search of quality housing at an affordable price, which was demonstrated by the sales success of the Emirates precinct recently."

Blog reply:“International City is hardly vibrant, and I wonder what lifestyle they refer to when there are hardly any shops around or even cafes and restaurants... It's just one huge residential area, and that's about it.”

International City Director Helli is apparently an engineer by profession. Engineers thrive on removing obstacles and it would perhaps be better if he adopted his profession’s traditional practical attitude to solving problems - than his PR Department’s response of pretending the problems do not exist.

Serious problems do exist – and the run of bad press this project is having will continue to plague the project and its Directors’ professional reputation - if something is not done to realistically address and resolve them.

In a neighbourhood of 60.000 consumers – IC residents should have access to good quality, competitive, markets and shops – and if necessary the red tape should be relaxed to achieve this.

A resident’s complaints action team within the ranks of the Nakheel IC project staff would perhaps be a good start.

Given the budget for these affordable accommodation buildings the developers have achieved a reasonably successful outcome.

The project is unlikely to win any architectural prizes – but with proper finishing and landscaping has the potential to become a pleasant and attractive Dubai suburb – rather than the run down slum many aggrieved Dubai property bloggers are predicting.

The classical lite design is an imprecise, plain, but pleasant post modern replication of the local architecture of the 10 national clusters. This building is in IC Spain – but in terms of authentic national architecture - could just as easily be in IC Russia or IC England:

IC’s late nineteenth century character:

Eclectic with a vague nineteenth century look that differentiates them from the same old boring modern blocks as its more expensive inner city affordable accommodation twin Bur Dubai – International City could look much more attractive and be very comfortable to live in - once it is properly landscaped and given some much needed finishing. The building base is good – all it lacks is finishing – and the bonus is that most of the studio and one bed apartments of IC Dubai are well designed and ideal for their affordable accommodation purpose.

A vague imitation of the real thing shown above - but the ground floor arcading to provide weather protection - and the [occasional] balconies replicates the best of Parisian apartment architecture.

More balconies would have been better and more greenery is essential.

[2]: International City interior design:

IC Studio apartment: With approximately 479 square feet these studios were sold off plan from AED 245,000[about US$67.000]:

Most of the 12000+ studios at just fewer than 500 square feet are spacious [for studios] and logically laid out - with separate kitchen and bathroom spaces - and good sized living rooms that easily accommodate sleeping, dining, and sitting functions – plus a balcony for outdoor space – really the perfect studio floor plan.

1 bed apartment: With approximately 715 square feet these 1 bed apartments were sold off plan from AED 340,000:

The one bedroom flat is very conveniently designed for busy young professional couples who each have their own bathroom in the morning and share spacious bed and living rooms – with the kitchen easy accessible but tucked away so as not to unduly impose upon the living space. The balcony off the living room provides a welcome outdoor space.

With approximately 479 square feet these studios were sold off plan in 2006
from AED 245,000[about US$67.000].In the April 2008 launched Forbidden City project - which was set at a 20% premium to the rest of IC - the price of a studio flat was then set at AED730,000 - while one-bedroom apartments started at AED950,000 - and a two-bedroom apartment started at AED1.4 million:

Assuming the entire purchase price was borrowed at 7% pa which would cost AED17.150 pa in interest – and a current rental of AED32.000 pa – these studios have been a good income investment now yielding 13% gross.

[2]: IC as a capital growth investment:

Golf City: Dubailand:

Given the time honoured importance of location, location, location in the property business - IC started life with serious, almost fatal, disadvantages as a real estate project - with the worse possible outer city desert site location in the middle of nowhere, no efficient public transport, and a next door to an overworked sewerage plant generously distributing its odours at will – when suddenly along came Dubailand and IC’s very disadvantage – its location – became its salvation.

The proposed Dubai Metro blueline extension proposal – which plans a station at International City - will greatly enhance capital values of property in International City when confirmed, completed, and operational:

Dubailand’s next door location has transformed IC’s prospects and will underwrite its economics in the future for the following reasons:

Dubailand will be employing over 25000 workers many of whom will find IC a convenient Dubai Metro ride two or three stops away from work – and its conveniently designed affordable accommodation a welcome and less expensive escape from the fantasy land of their Dubailand employment.

The Dubai Metro will be coming to IC passing through from the Airport to Dubailand – and new urban train stations are always a major boost to property values within walking distance of the new station.

Besides Dubailand - other important projects are nearby - as the massive growth of Dubai has continued. Already IC is as close as a 20 minute drive to the Dubai Airport. IC will also have good access to the new DWC Airport being constructed on the other side of Dubailand and all four – i.e. both airports, Dubailand, and IC will be directly and efficiently linked by the new Dubai metro blue line.

All that remains to do is to secure the departure of the smelly next door neighbour – an objective strongly supported by the mainly national population of next door Alwarqaa which is equally adversely affected when the prevailing winds are blowing their way – and which surely must happen given the growing population numbers around the sewerage plant. To ignore this problem would be a scandal in a third world country and is certainly unacceptable in Dubai.

IC’s important new neighbours: It’s still a long way from the beach and Old Dubai but the neighbourhood is becoming much more important as Dubai City’s urban growth continues:

[3]: Slowdown in sales at end 2008:

All areas of the Dubai property market have been adversely affected by the 2007 – 2009 international banking credit crises – and Dubai property valuations have dropped from their early 2008 point by 30-40% as a result of this.
International City is no exception – and there is a busy market in discounted re-sales.

NEWS REPORT:

“Dubai World villa sales begin to slow down”

Published: 30 October 2008 12:54 GMT Author: Matthew Martin More by this Author Last Updated: 30 October 2008 15:01

“Sultan bin Sulayem, chairman of Dubai World, has said villa sales in Dubai are beginning to slow as it becomes more difficult to secure housing finance in the emirate."We started selling property in Forbidden City recently. We usually sell over 100 villas a day but now we are selling about 30 a day," said Sulayem, speaking to an audience of bankers in Dubai on 30 October.

"This indicates that it is not speculative buyers any more, it is end users buying the units, so for me it is ok."

He said he was not expecting to see real estate prices in Dubai decrease, and pointed to the recent sales of villas on Palm Jumeira facing the Atlantis hotel as evidence that appetite for Dubai real estate remained strong."I don't see a reduction in prices," he said. "The appetite is there, it is just the financing that is not."

Forbidden City is a 4,000 unit development by Nakheel, a subsidiary of Dubai World, within the International City real estate project.”